Automatic franking-machine



A. l. SH-IRCLIFFE. AUTOMATIC FRANK-ING MALHINE. APPLICATIONFxLED1uLY3o.19|7.

1,340,987'. Patented May 25, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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A. 1. SHIRCUFFE.

AUTOMATIC FRANKING MACHINE. APPucATfoN FILED JULY 30. |917.

1,840,987. Patented May25, 1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

A. l.'l. SHIHCLIFFE. AUTOMATIC FBANKING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JULY303917.

Patented May 25,1920.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3 Syvum No1 May 25, 4 SHEETS-SHEE A. J. SHRCLIFFE.

Patented AUTOMATIC FRANKING MACHINE.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC AUTOMATIC FRANKING-MACHINE.

Application filed July 39, 1917.

To NZZ wlw/1t it may concern: y

B e-it known'that 1*,ARTHUR "J SHmoLirrn, a citizenotl the UnitedStates, and a resident oi' Norwood, in the county of Hamilton and Stateof. Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement inAutomatic .Franking-lVIaehines, of Which the following is aspecification.

The present invention relates to Woodu-'orking machines, and moreparticularly to that type of machine for franking or mortising pieces ofWork usedinthe construction ots-ashes, doors and the like.

1n themanufacture of a large percentage oi" certain. kinds ot' sash,Window and door- '\voik, small lengths of various sizes and numbers arerequired, and this necessitates the punching or forming of smallmortises oi' va rious sizes and depths in the stiles and rails oi' theWork.

.lt is an object oi' the present invention to provide a machine whichWill accurately, and with great speed, perform the work ot punchingmortises ot the required size; which will reduce the labor cost inoperation; which may be quickly adjusted for different sizes andvnumbers oi' mortises required; which maybe used in conjunction withother machines. such as a sticker, to receive the pieces ot worktherefrom and which have been prepared to receive the saine in the usualmanner; which is automatic in operation; which may be operated byinexperienced laborers;4 and which mayr operate upon a single piece of'Work to simultaneously 'frank or 'form niortises ot various sizestherein.

The above, and va 1ious other objects and advantages of this inventionWill be in part described, and in partA understood, from the i'ol.lf.)wing detailed description of the present preferred embodiment. thesame being illust rated in the accompanying drawings vwherein Figure lis a side elevation of a ranking machine constructedk according to thepresent invention.

Fig. 9, isa top plan view of the same.

Fig. an elevation oi' the inner end ot' th'e'machine, or the end intowhich the pieces ot worlcmay be fed.

Fig. l is an opposite end elevation.

-' Fim 'is adetail view in elevation of one Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented May 25, 1920.

Serial No. 183,561.

or' the chisel or to'olholders, showing in section the `supporti'or thesame. s

Fig. 6 is a vertical section; through the same.

Fig. 7 is transverse section taken on the line 7-7 of Fig. 5.

- Fig. 8 is a transverse section throughthe delivery end oi' theJfeeder, taken substantially on the line 8-8 of Fig. 2 and showing theadjustable gate for controlling` the passage oi' Work to the bed plateof the machine.

Fig. 9 is a detail view in side elevation ot' the holder for the tensionspring adapted to engage the Work.

Fig. l() is an inner end view ot' the same.

- Fig. ll is a detail top plan viewer' the trough adapted to be attachedto tlie'ri'eeder for supplying pieces of Work thereto from an adjacentmachine.

Fig. l2 is an inner end View of the trough.

Referring to these drawings, wherein like parts are designated bysimilar characters oi' reference throughout the severalviews, l() and1.1 designate a pair of opposite end uprights adapted to be secured tothe 'floor or the like and which are reinforcedv by longitudinal bracebars l2. machine, which may be termed the rear side thereof, thestandards ll and l2 are provided with a pair oic bearings 13 receivingtherethrough the opposite ends or a shaft lll, the latter having uponone end imrnedi4 ately adjacent the outer side ot the standard il, arelatively large spur gear Wheel. lel, and having upon its opposite endexteriorly of the standard l0, a relatively large disk l5.

The shaft 14 is rotated by a pinion 16 which is relatively small, andwhich mounted on the inner end oi a drive shaft 17.

oi the pulley 20 respectively. The shaft 'i4 also held againstlongitudinal displace-y ment bylxmeansof collars 22 Whiehrv are At oneside of the mounted upon the shaft 14: adjacent the bearings 13. A belt23 is employed for transmitting power from the shaft 17 to the shaft 26,and passes over pulleys 24 and 25 mounted respectively on said shafts.,l

The shaft 26" is mounted near the forward portion of the machine inbearings 2T, and is employed to operate the feeder which will besubsequently described.

Two wrist pins 32 mounted on the outer faces of theV gear 14 and disk 15respectively are connected by pitman rods 30 to, and operate the toolcarrying beam 29 sliding on bearing surfaces 28 on the upper 4 edges ofthe end pieces 10 and 11.

The tool beam 29 is provided in its forward edge with a longitudinallyextending undercut groove preferably T-shapein crosssection as indicatedat 33. One or more tool holders, are adjustably secured against thevforward edge of the beam 29, and each comprises a bracket plate 3dhaving arib 35 eX- tending across its yrear face adapted to fit partlyin the groove 33 to hold the plate 34 from turning upon the beam 29. Aclamping bolt 36 whose head nts the T-slot 33 engages each bracket platenear one of its ends and holds it adjustably upon the tool beam 29. Thebracket plate 34C is provided in its outer face with a verticallyextending doveta'iled slot 38 receiving the inner end of acorrespondinglyformed tool socket 39 vertically adjustable upon thebracket plate by an adjusting screw 4:1 having a handle e2 and swiveledin the overhanging arm 40. A

' suitable mortising or frankiiig tool 43, of

any desired form, is fitted in the tool socket 39 and held in positionby means of a set screw 44. Y

The forward side of the frame is provided with a bed plate upon whichthe work is supj'iortedduring the advancement of the tool 43 therein.Slidable over the upper face, and at the forward edge portion of the bedplate 15 is a Vsupporting bar or Vmember 16V against which the work isadapted to rest during the impact of the tool 43 thereagainst. The bar46 is connected at opposite ends to a pair of, adjusting screws L17which are swiveled at their outer ends in yupstanding bracket arms 423carried upon the end members 10 and 11. The outer ends of the screw 41:7are pro ided with hand 'wheels 4:9, and the screws t7 are connected forsimultaneous rotation by sprocket wheels 50 over which trained asprocket chain 51.V Thebar 16 may thus be adjusted fromr eitherend ofthe machine by merely turning the adjacent hand wheel 49.

z The feeder comprises a bracket frame 52 whichis secured tothe innerframe portion 11 and extends in longitudinal alinement rwith the bedVplate 15x The upper side of the feeder frame 52. is relatively flat andis adaptedrtoreceive the pieces of Wood there- 1 wood passes through theon. The pieces of work may be packed upon the feeder frame or table 52,and heldin superposed relation by upstanding side frame 52 by bolts 54:,as shown particularly in Fig. 2. The table 52 is provided at itsopposite side with upstanding guard lingers 55 which are preferablypermanently seq cured in place. An upstanding retaining linger 56 mayalso be mounted across the outer end of thev table 52 for holding thepieces of work from longitudinal movement from the outer end of thefeeder.

Yformed longitudinally in the lowery portion of the frame 52. Thesprocket wheel 59 is carried upon a shortl shaft 62 which is journaledin a bracket 63, mounted upon the inner side of the frame member 11, andwhich is provided with a bevel gear wheel 6d meshing with aY bevel gearwheel 65 mounted upon the adjacent end of the shaft 26.

The conveyer chain 53 is pro Yided, atonc A conveyer chain o8 isarranged with its upperpieces 53 adjustably mounted upon the portionthereof, with an outstanding lug G6 e of suiicient height to engage thelower edge portion of apiece of Vwork and advance the samelongitudinally through the guard lingers 53 and 55, and onto the bedplate To limit the feeding of the work to the bed plate one piece at atime, adjustable gate 5T is employed, the same being in the forni of aflat plate having at one lateral edge portion a depending longitudinallyslotted 68 through which cap screws G9 or the like engage, and which areremovably secured 'in one side of the feeder frame 52. The plate 67 maythus be raised and lowered to accommodate pieces of material of farioussizes, and also to admit the pieces of material one at a time beneaththe lower edge of the plate 67.' After a stack of pieces of work isplaced upon the table 52, the lug .G6 may remove the lowermost piefe ofwork,

and plate 67 prevents the superposed pieces from following and admitsthe dropping'of the stack as soon as the lowerm'ost piece of openingbeneath the plate 6T. Y f

llVhen a piecejof work is slid endwise onto the table 45, the same isheld between-the bar 46, which serves as an abutment, and

-twoy or more retainers TO' which may` be in the form of pin supportedrollers 71. and which are adjustable longitudinally in the inner edge ofthe bed plate by engagement rinany one of the openings V72. The work 'ishel d from 'upward displacement" from the bed plate by 'means-ofspring-tension, the same being accomplished by the provision of aleafspring` lT123 'lowing ai relatively 'flat shank portion engaging inthe longitudinal slot T4 formed: in one end of a bolt To, said'end ofthe bolt beingv externally threaded and provided with a binding nut T6adapted to be tightened up against the adjacent edge' portionv of thespring il The opposite end of the bolt is engaged in registeringrecesses formed in the inner opposite faces ot a pair of clamping plates7T and 78 which are heldy together, and to the upper face of the bar LlGby a cap screw 79 or the like. rIhe upper plate'` 'T8 is provided at oneend portionwith lug or proj eetion 8O extending toward and engaging theadjacent face of the opposite plate 77 to slightly space the plates 77and 78 apart and effect a clamping action of the plates TT and 751" uponthe bolt '75.

ln F i gs. ll and 12 there is shown a form of trough which may beapplied to the feeder for conveying'pieces of work thereto fromranadjacent machine which performs work upon the pieces prior to thefranking` of the same. One type of machine which may be used inconjunction with the present invention is what is known as a sticker `orwhich places a glass mold on the piece of work. These machines areusually supplied with feeding rollers, and the pieces of work may bedischarged therefrom into the trough shown in Figs. lland l2.

The trough comprises a bottom boardV Sl, provided at preferably itsouter edge portions with an upstanding 'wall 82 which Ais Vrelativelyhigh, and which is provided at its opposite edge portion with arelatively low upstanding wall S3. The wall-83 is adjustable toward andfrom the wall 82. and is held in place by'bolts 84 and ySwliich may passdownwardly through the wall 83 and to the bottom piece 8l. The bolt 84isv provided atits upper end with an enlarged head for engagement withthe upper edge of the wall l533 to hold the latter in clamped positionupon the bottom 81, and the bolt 85 is provided with an overturnedbinding finger 86 upon itsfupper end adapted to clamp between lthefinger 8G and the upper edge of the wall 83, a supporting rod 8Tv-.fhich is adapted to project obliquely into the passage or throat ofvthe trough. The bolts Se and 85y may be adjusted in the apertures 88formed through the bottom board 8l to space the lower wall 83 a greaterdistance from the higher wall 82. The inner end of the rod 87 ispreferably curved at substantially right angles to the longitudinalairisk of the rod, and is adapted to deflect and hold the work againsttheftixed wall 82. The wall S2 is` provided with an overturning lip orstrip which-extends horizontally along theliinnerfsideof the'wall' 82 invertically spaced relation fromy the bottom 81. rllhe strip 89 ispreferably-seated in a-longitud-inal-lyextending recess in the innerside of the Wall' 82,' and heldi'ini position by an adhesive or thelike.

In theuse of this trough7 when the work is delivered thereto one side,which may be termed the outer side, is usually facing the wall 82. Thepiece of work as delivered to. the troughis supported upon the bead orstrip 89' and upon thel inner endl of the rod 8T, the latter beingadjusted to the desired angley and projecting to the desired extent intothe trough. As the piece of work 'is forced forwardly by a succeedingpiece of work7 it is slid; along the bead 89 until the piece of work'passes the inner extremity of the 'rod 8T. At this time; the piece ofwork, by. its-weight, fallsv from the bead-89 and turns `over to presentits outer side upwardly, and rests upon the bottom 81, ln this position;the `piece `of work is fed to the feeding mechanism ofthe machine.

Then thel trough of Figs.l ll andI l2 is employed, the end retaining`member 56` is removed from the feeding table 52, andthe piece of workslides into position upon the feed table 52 between the upstandingngrers and! 55.

The conveyer chain 58 is operated by the rotation'of the shaft. The lug-(56 of the conveyer chain 58 is brought ykinto engagement againstftheinner endl of the piece of work-.f and foreesthe latter beneath the gate(3T ontothe bed platee. The piece of work is slid between the` tensionspring 73,. and isY held by the spring yieldingly againstthebed plate45,' andy from lifting upwardly therefrom. f

The mechanism is so timed that as soon as a piece of work isw depositeduponfthe bed rplate 45 and ther-lug r66 of the conveyer chain passesdownwardly through thel inner end of the bed plate`r the tool beam129'isadvanced forwardly. The tool. beam 29'is provided near its inner end.and above the sprocket wheel 59, witha stop finger 90 carriedfupon theforward edge ofthe beam Q9 in thelvmanner of mountingy the bracket plateSe ofthe tool support. `The stop finger' 9i) is ofY greater length thanthe length of the tools d3 and yis adapted to project into the path. ofthe work 'to prevent the subsequent feeding` of a secondpiece of workonto the bed` platef during the franking ofthe piece of work alreadydepositedthereon.r The finger 90 is adapted to engage the forward endofthe second piece of work and hold-'the same from advancing' onto Athebedplate, the lug 66 engagun;vr the inner end of the second piece of work?holds the conveyor chain from movement and the pulley24 is arrested 'inmotion and the belt 23slides'thereoveiz "As the-beam 39'21is' furtheradr-'anced the v vancedagainst the work, such as a sash stile,

the tools are forced into the work and cut .or punch thesame andcompress the material to form the mortise or depression required.V

The tools 48are preferably of the fish-tail type so as to form a cleancut at the outer marginal edge of the opening and to compress thematerial in the mortise by drawing the major portions together ratherlthan eX- panding and splitting the material, thus preventing injury tothe piece of work. The bar 46 may be adjusted by turning the screws 47to accommodate pieces of work of various widths. The spring 73 is ofysufficient strength to hold the work to the table and from moving outof line with the tools 43. Y

As soon as the tools 43 have-completed their operation, the continuedrotation of the shaft 14 retracts the tool beam 29 and frees the pieceofwork. As the finger Y9 0 is erating upon the second piece of work. By lplacing the belt 23 between the drive shaft 17 and the feeder shaft26,1the latter may be arrested in its motion by the nger 90, andthe.drive shaft 17 continued in its motion to operate the tool beam 29.

It is of courseunderstood that various changes and modifications may bemade in the details ofconstruction, and the design of the various partsof the above specifically described 'embodiment :without departing fromthe spirit of .this invention, ksuch changesV and modifications beingrestricted only by the vscope of the following claims.

I claim f Y 1. In a woodworking machine,theV combination of a bed plateadapted to support a piece of work,a tool beam arranged along one sideof the bed plate, means for advancing and retracting the tool beam withrespect to the bed plate, the Vtool beam having a longitudinal slot inits Youter edge, a plllrality of bracket plates slidablyengaging againstsaid forward` edge and having tongues adapted to project into said slot,clamping boltscarried by the bracket plate and having enlarged headsengaging in the slot to bind therein and hold the kbracket plates inadjusted position, said bracket plates having undercut recesses thereineX-v tendingat right angles to the groove in said tool beam, toolsockets mounted on-k said bracket plate and having enlarged inner endsadapted for bindingengagement in said moving longitudinally thereof andtoward n and from each other, tool sockets adjustably mounted in thebracket plates and adapted for movement in paths extending at rightangles to the movement of the tool beams, and means'for securing Vtoolsin said sockets.

3. In a woodworking machine, the com bination of a bed plate adapted 'tosupport a piece of work, a tool beam, means for ad vancing andretracting the tool beam with respect to the said bed plate, and aplurality of adjustable and removable tool supports on the beam, each ofsaid tool supports com.- prising a longitudinally adjustable bracketplate detacliably mounted upon the tool beam, and a verticallyadjustable tool socket mounted upon the bracket plate.

4. In a woodworking machine, the combination of a bed plate, means forfeeding pieces of work endwise upon the bed plate, operating means forthe feeding means yieldably connected thereto, a tool support, means foradvancing the tool support toward the work on the bed plate, and a stoplinger carried by the tool support and movable thereby into position inthe path of the succeeding work to arrest the motion of said feedingmeans during the operation' of said tool support. j

5. In a woodworking machine, the combination of a bed plate, workfeeding means adapted to 'intermittently Vposition work on the bedplate, a tool carrier, operating means for the tool carrier foradvancing Vthe latter toward and from the work on the bed plate,

operating means yieldablyconnected to said feeding means forcontinuouslyk actuating thelat'ter, and `mechanisms controlled by theoperationof said tool beam and independent of the feeding means forintermittently checking the feeding of the work to the bed plate whenysaid tool beam is advanced to- Wardthe work.

6.V In a woodworking machine, the com.

bination of a bed plate, means for feeding pieces of material in anendwise direction upon the 'bed plate, operating means yield ablyconnected to said feeding means, a tool support, meansfor actuating thetool support to advance the latter toward the work on thebed plate, andmeans carried by the the work to arrest the feeding of subsequent workupon the bed plates during the operation of the'tool support.

. tool support for movement into'the path of f' undercut recesses, andmeans carried by the vranged at one end of the bed plate, andendv13 lessconveyer having its upper portion in the plane of the upper' surface ofthe feed table, a lug projecting from said conveyer, means forsupporting and guiding Work upon the upper face of the feed table and inthe path of said lug, said lug being adapted to engage the outer end ofthe Work and move the latter in an endvvise direction onto the bedplate, a tool support, means for advancing the tool support toward andfrom the bed plate, means for yieldablj,7 operating said conveyer chain,and a stop finger'mounted on said tool support adapted to be movedthereby into the path of the Work upon the deposit of a piece of Work onthe bed plate, said stop finger being adapted to engage the forward endof the next succeeding piece of Work to hold the latter from movementonto the bed plate and to yieldingly hold the conveyer inoperative.

8. In a Woodworkingmachine, the combination of a bed plate, a feed tablemounted at one end of the bed plate, an endless conveyer extendingacross the feed plate and over the adjacent end of the bed plate, a lugoutstanding from the conveyer, means for yieldably operating theconveyer to engage the lug with pieces of Work and advance the same inan endivise direction onto the bed plate, a tool support, means foradvancing the tool support toward the bed plate, and a stop llingermounted on the tool support in the path of the work for interrupting thefeeding thereof during the operation of the tools upon the Work.

9. In a Woodworking machine, the combination of a frame, a bed platemounted on theframe, a feeding mechanism at one end drive and operatingshaft, a belt trained over said pulleys and adapted to yieldingly drivethe feeding shaft, a countershaft in the frame, a tool beam slidablymounted on the top of the frame, connecting rods pivoted upon theoppositel ends of the tool beam and having eccentric connection to saidcountershaft for advancing and retracting the tool beam with respect tosaid bed plate, tool supports mounted on said beam, and a stoppingdevice connected to said beam and actuated thereby to arrest the motionof said feeding mechanism during the operation of the tools upon a pieceof Work.

10. In a Woodworking machine, the combination of a bedplate, means forfeeding work to the bed plate, a tool beam, means for reciprocating thetool beam tovvardfand from the Work plate, a bracket platelongitudinally adjustable upon the; tool beam, means for clamping thebracket plate in adjusted position upon the tool VYbeam, said bracketplate having a dovetailed vertically extending recess inL its iouterface, atool socket provided with a dovetailed inner end slidably fittingin said recess, said bracket plate having an overhanging arm in verticalalinement with the recess, and an elongated screuT swiveled at its upperend in the arm and engaging in threaded relation through said toolsocket, said screw being adapted to v be rotated for raising andlowering the tool socket to adjust the same to the Work. r

ARTHUR J. SHIECLIFFE.

